Researchers have reported results from the first-ever clinical trial of a new class of targeted therapy in pet cats with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC)—a cancer which is notoriously deadly and difficult to treat. Publishing in the Cell Press journal Cancer Cell on August 28, the study found that 35% of the cats who received treatment had their disease controlled with minimal side effects—and the drug will likely be effective for humans with HNSCC as well.

This drug, which was initially conceptualized to treat human head and neck cancers, is the first to target the transcription factor STAT3. STAT3 is present in a range of both solid and liquid tumors, including a majority of HNSCC cases. 

The idea to test the HNSCC drug on pet cats came from a discussion first author Jennifer Grandis had with her sister, a veterinarian. Grandis learned that oral cancers like HNSCC in pet cats are extremely difficult to treat and that most animals die within 2 to 3 months of diagnosis.  

One cat who benefited from the trial was a 9-year-old black domestic shorthair named Jak. When he was diagnosed with HNSCC, the veterinarian gave him only 6 to 8 weeks to live.  

“It was just a gut punch,” says his owner, Tina Thomas. “We wanted more time with him. When I found out about this clinical trial, I knew I wanted him to be a part of it.” 

Jak went for weekly treatments for one month. During that time his symptoms—mainly, a watery eye—greatly improved. He ultimately lived more than 8 months after his diagnosis. 

“This study is a great example of how we can think more carefully about spending our very limited resources on studies in lab mice that are not even the best models of human cancers,” Grandis says. “By partnering with veterinary oncologists and doing clinical trials in companion animals, we can learn an enormous amount about how these drugs work while also helping people’s pets. None of the cats in these trials were harmed, and many of them benefited.” 

Source: EurekAlert

https://www.cell.com/cancer-cell/fulltext/S1535-6108(25)00321-6